Jicarilla Apache Lidded Basket

Jicarilla-Mescale Apache lidded storage/waste basket with handle cutout, and geometric designs. Used but stable condition. Fading outside, original design and colors seen on inside. Historic and functional. The Apache have a longstanding basketry tradition, and basket making is among the most celebrated art forms in their culture. Those with pictorial elements are coveted, and the coloration oxidizes over time to warm hues as we see in this example. Being nomadic hunters and gatherers, baskets were treasured for carrying firewood as well as roots and berries.